Apparently we’ve been on a soup and stew kick as of late; here’s a quick weeknight one-pot dish that’s hearty and flavorful. This recipe is adapted from Steven Raichlen’s Healthy Latin Cooking and is chock-full of chickpeas and potatoes in a flavorful vegetable broth.

Lisa says:

Wow — there are a LOT of chickpeas in this stew.

Chris says:

Yeah, I don’t think you’re going to complain about this being too “brothy”.

Lisa says:

Not at all!

Chris says:

Actually, I had to add a little more broth while I was cooking it anyway; the potatoes were taking a longer time than I had expected. I’d cut them smaller next time.

Lisa says:

The sliced tomatoes on top are a nice change…

Chris says:

Yeah, I really like them. This isn’t the most remarkable dish in the book, but the tomatoes on top give it a nice twist.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, green onions, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and oregano, and cook for five minutes, until the vegetables are softened. Add the chopped tomatoes, cilantro, and half of the parsley. Cook for five minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste; cook for 1 minute. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the potatoes; reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 6 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and simmer for another 6 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with the tomato slices and remaining parsley.

I’ve been in a meat-mood all week, so last night I made this shredded skirt-steak recipe from one of our favorite cookbooks, Healthy Latin Cooking. The steak is slow-cooked in wine and broth until it’s tender enough to easily shred with a fork. This recipe is made lighter than the traditional by the addition of carrots and potatoes.

Chris says:

So apparently this dish literally translates to “Old Clothes”.

Lisa says:

Wow, if all old clothes were like this I’d spend just as much time at the thrift stores as Abbie.

Chris says:

I love how tender the meat is here.

Lisa says:

Yeah it’s super good. The sauce is really tasty.

Chris says:

The vegetables are also nice and tender without being mushy. Perfect! I like using our CSA box to determine what recipes to make.

Lisa says:

It certainly seems to cut your recipe-browsing time to something manageable!

Heat the oil in a large, wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the onions are just beginning to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1 minute. Season the steak with salt and black pepper. Add it to the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes per side. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add 3 cups of the stock or broth and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the steak is very tender. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Stir in the tomato puree or tomato sauce, carrots, and potatoes. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is reduced and flavorful. If too much liquid evaporates, add a little more stock or broth. Stir in the capers. Using 2 forks, tear the meat along the grain into very thin shreds. (You should be able to do this right in the pan.) Simmer for 3 minutes more, or until the meat soaks up the sauce. Season with more salt and black pepper, if desired. Sprinkle with the cilantro.

Cut the fish into cubes and place in a 13″ x 9″ glass dish along with the shrimp. Add a third of the chopped garlic, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, remaining garlic, and the bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions become translucent, but not browned. Turn the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes, carrots, bay leaf, and fish stock, and return to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Add the seafood, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the fish flakes easily. Stir in the cilantro and simmer for one minute. Remove the bay leaf, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.

Chicken: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the chicken, chicken broth, onion, tomato, and cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken from the pan and let cool to room temperature, then shred using two forks. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup and reserve for the sauce (you should have about 3.5 cups).

Sauce: Coat a 13″x9″ baking dish with nonstick spray. Stem the chile peppers, tear open, and remove the seeds and ribs. Place the peppers in the saucepan you used earlier and add 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Let sit for 5 minutes, then simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Transfer the chile peppers and 2 3/4 cups of the liquid, along with the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, garlic, and oregano, into a blender. Puree until smooth — the sauce should be thick but pourable. Pour a third of the sauce into the baking dish.

Preheat the oven to 400F.Bring the rest of the chicken cooking liquid to a boil in the same saucepan over high heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and cook for 10 seconds until soft and pliable. Move to a plate and keep warm.

Assembly: Place 2/3 tbsp of the shredded chicken on each tortilla. Top with the minced onions, and roll each into a tube. Arrange the enchiladas, seam side down, into the baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with cheese.Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling hot.

This is a recipe that I’ve really been looking forward to making from Healthy Latin Cooking. We usually don’t make pork (Lisa’s not sure if she likes it) unless it’s in a stew, but after tonight’s meal I think we’ll be making it more often. The pork marinates in a delicious combination of chipotle peppers, citrus juices, garlic, and onions.

Lisa says:

Wahoo! Pomegranate seeds!

Chris says:

I love how they explode in your mouth. Hey, this dish looks Christmas-y. This Other White Meat(tm) has so much flavor! Guess that’s what 24 hours of marinating gets you.

Lisa says:

Dammit, you have to stop making such delicious meals — I just eat and eat and eat!

Place the pork in a shallow glass or ceramic baking dish.In a blender, combine the chipotles, garlic, onion, orange and lime juice, vinegar, oregano, and allspice; puree until smooth. Sppon the marinade over the pork. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours. Turn 2 or 3 times while marinating.Preheat a grill or broiler to medium-high. Season the pork with salt and pepper. Grill or broil the pork for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Let the pork sit for 3 minutes before slicing on the diagonal.Mound a portion of salsa on each of 4 dinner plates. Divide the pork among the plates; dollop sour cream over the pork. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.